What's Making News In the Town Next Door?

Marlboro

After two weeks of discussion, the Marlboro Board of Education deadlocked in a 4-4 vote to keep the April school elections where they are. Gov. Chris Christie announced in January that school districts and municipalities now have the option to combine it's April school board and budget elections with November's general election, removing the annual referendum to vote on the school budget provided the budget is under the 2 percent cap. While the Marlboro BOE came to an impasse, the Marlboro Town Council decided not to intervene to move the election to November.

Aberdeen

The 62.81 acres of Aberdeen Township surrounding the Aberdeen-Matawan NJ Transit Train Station was reaffirmed for redevelopment Feb. 15 at the Aberdeen Township Planning Board meeting. The preliminary investigation report was originally done in 1999 and was updated in 2001 when a little over 3 acres of land was added to the redevelopment area.

Matawan

What should take the place of the now vacant Dollar Express on Main Street, at Ravine Drive? After 2 1/2 years, the shop was closed by Eileen Gendus of Holmdel after Christmas. Thirty comments have been posted on the story, many with suggestions on what king of business they would like to have in town.

Middletown

A Red Bank teenager pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and speeding while driving drunk, among other things, in a Feb. 27, 2011 crash on Cooper Road that killed his friend. Police said the crash occurred after he was driving more than 75 miles per hour in a 25 mile-per-hour zone in the residential area in the Chapel Hill section of Middletown. His blood alcohol concentration test was .314 percent. The county Prosecutor’s Office is expected to recommend a six-year prison sentence for Adam F. Sofio, 19, as part of a plea deal. 

Hazlet

With the fate of the township's popular summer camp in jeopardy, the township Recreation Commissioners are pressing for an extension of the department's retirement date. Barbara Ronchetti has worked for Hazlet for 22 years, and there are no other employees left in the department. Parents are planning to attend a Township Committee meeting is at Feb. 21 at town hall to ask questions. More details in the Asbury Park Press story. 

The Board of Education moved its annual school election to November.

Red Bank

The July 3 KaBoom! annual fireworks show has been cancelled, a victim of its own success. The borough’s annual fireworks show grew too large and too expensive, say town officials. In turn, Rumson pulled the plug on its own show, because it would no longer be able to share in the group discount and could be overwhelmded by visitors.

Freehold

CentraState Medical Center's upgraded Radiation Oncology Suite is a $10 million facility that includes advanced cancer screening technologies and more comforting procedures for patients.  The technological advancements include the addition of a new linear accelerator, which allows doctors to target the radiation therapy on a tumor more effectively and in a shorter period of time.....Also, CentraState Medical Center is preparing for its 51st Anniversary Ball and looking to crown their next Ball Queen. Local young women between the ages of 16 and 23 are welcome to enter into the contest after they retain a sponsor. The annual Anniversary Ball is Nov. 3.

Manalapan

One of the largest ground-mounted and grid-interconnected solar systems in the state was finished at the Village at Manalapan, a future shopping center on Rt. 33. Over 12,000 solar panels were placed on the ground of the property where a future 500,000 sq. ft. shopping center will be built. The solar project cost $17.2 million.

A resident in a senior citizens development divulged her bank account number to a persistant caller who said he represented her health insurance company. He said the insurance company needed to change the number on her card and that the bank and account number connected with her social security check was required. Police are investigating it as a possible scam.